A Brand New Bag
John Orpheus
Goatlife
It took about two years and three mixtapes for Torontobased crew John Orpheus to arrive at Goatlife, and the journey has been as important as the destination. John Orpheus is both the individual and the collective: Trinidadian-born frontman/poet John Orpheus, aka J.O., DJ/percussionist Sarah Jane Riegler and vocalist/dancer Chaenel Mattis offer up a marinated mix of Afropop, “jiggy AF” rap, soca and dancehall. In addition to the high-energy mode of the project, there is a sense of urgency: John Orpheus dropped three mixtapes in 2017, each with their own take on pan-African musicality — the hip-hop fuelled Goldchain Hennessey, the jump-up groove that was Bacchanal, and the West African-mined Black Star Rising. The Mike Schlosser-produced Goatlife takes things a level higher, further fusing these sounds into something that’s greater — and funkier— than the sum. “Goatlife” carries an anthemic sound, its explorative rhythms emboldened by a hard rock-star edge. John Orpheus’s vocals are uniquely malleable, adeptly adapting the sonic sounds laid down by percussionist/ drummer Riegler and backup vocals by Mattis. “Parachute” brings the bacchanal, riding hard on a Trinidadian soca vibe, the clear mixtape standout that’s targeted towards summer party sensibilities. “Brwn Girl” offers POP up a pop-minded harmony and mainstream dancehall and hip-hop feel, while “C Ur Son” sounds like an early Wyclef Jean solo cut. Goatlife serves as both a “summer of 2018” statement and promise for an intriguing fulllength effort that’s undoubtedly ahead. (Independent)
How did you arrive at this musical approach?
Orpheus: Sarah and I had been playing in a band before, but in a bigger figuration. We always talked about like making pop songs around African rhythms. Riegler: When we met I was playing in country and indie rock bands. I got into West African rhythms as a percussionist about a decade ago. We decided to form a band with roots in this tradition. I loop rhythms in the studio with our producer — I’ll play them on djembe, bells, rattles — [and] John creates from there, picking the rhythms that I’ve laid down and writing lyrics.
How might the sound best be categorized?
Riegler: It’s like pan-African hip-hop.
Orpheus: The primary elements are Afrobeat, hip-hop and soca/dancehall vibes. The tunes are always pop, the beats always African, the slang is always Caribbean. But people like David Bowie are big influences on the group. It’s a very deep bag that we pull from.